Lady Eleanor Holles School Post Reply

[emmakl]

Hi!
Just wondering if anyone has first hand experience of the school? We are considering this as a possibility for our daughter - though she is only just about to start Primary School, so a few years to go!

Just trying to get my head round the logistics as their site says they have girls from a wide area, including Chelsea etc. so I was curious to know if people drive out there every day, or if they have a bus, or if the girls make their own way on public transport!

Thank you!

[peasepudding]

Been a long time but it had a brilliant reputation back in my day and still doing extremely well academically. The school has buses that they share with Hampton School (boys' school next door - they do a lot of activities together so you get advantage of all girls' education but not entirely cut off) that cover a really wide area - I'm sure if you call their admissions office they'd be happy to tell you if they have one near you.

[topmama]

It's been a long time for me too, buses went from wide area as far as Sunningdale/Eton to the South and towards Roehampton/Richmond but in my day no one came from as far in as Chelsea. I imagine the traffic to Hampton in the rush hour would mean that it is a very long journey. I do remember some friends coming on the train so that might be a quicker route.

It used to be a rather academic, selective girls school so I might be worth waiting until your daughter is in primary school so you have an indication of her academic ability before you worry about secondary schools....unless you are planning closer to the school....

[happydad]

Our daughter is in the Junior Dept, joined from a local state primary at 7+ ... it's outstanding in most areas - academic, sport, music etc and very balanced, we could not praise it highly enough. As mentioned, although the entrance process is quite low-key, it is pretty selective with maybe 1 out of 3 getting in at 7+ with a small 8+ intake. That includes a core of kids "groomed" by Jack and Jill and other local feeders - so you want to know more about your DDs level at 5-6 - as there is some competition to get in!

Buses run from all over and I'd say at least 50% of kids use them, more in the Senior school.
Most of the junior intake is pretty local i.e. Kingston, Coombe, Teddington, Richmond areas etc. In my daughter's class I would say 18+ of 24 are pretty local so do think about practicalities of visiting friends after school, parties in weekends. Maybe there are a few kids more centrally, some further out in Surrey but most are probably within ten miles of the school.

Travel aside, if your daughter is a bright type and you wish to avoid the mega-stress at 11+, LEH Juniors with most of them getting into the Senior school cannot be recommended too highly -- and I don't think you'll find too many comments to the contrary from either mums or daughters, which is quite amazing. Quite a few of the mums are ex-LEH and have chosen to send the next generation there ... the school inspires real affection beyond the pure results treadmill.

Hope that helps ...